Plants for Bees — What to Plant for Pollinators in the Garden and on the Balcony

Pollinating insect populations are declining, and a garden — or even a balcony — can make a real difference. The key isn’t a single “bee plant”, but continuity of flowering — choosing species so that something is always supplying nectar and pollen from March to October. Here is a proven selection.

Rule number one: single flowers, not double

Before you plant anything, remember this distinction. Varieties with double flowers (densely packed with petals) look impressive, but are often useless to bees — the stamens have been converted into petals, so nectar and pollen are missing, and the insect has no way to get inside. Choose varieties with single flowers, with a visible centre.

Spring: the first food after winter

In early spring, pollinators emerge from winter dormancy famished. Lilac flowers abundantly in May and June, supplying nectar and an intense scent that draws bees and butterflies from afar.

Summer: the peak of the season

This is the easiest period — the greatest number of plants are in flower.

• Lavender is a magnet for bees and bumblebees, while also being drought-tolerant and fragrant. A classic for sunny beds and balconies.
• Thyme — a low, aromatic sub-shrub that’s both a kitchen herb and a productive nectar plant. Ideal for pots and gaps in a low wall.
• Phlox supplies nectar and a sweet scent, readily visited by butterflies, especially in the evening.

Late summer and autumn: food before winter

Once most plants have finished flowering, pollinators need the last sources of food to prepare for winter.

• Sunflower is a rich source of nectar and pollen, and in autumn its seeds also feed birds.
• Showy stonecrop flowers in late summer and autumn, when the garden’s offering is dwindling — one of the most important species for pollinators at this time, and extremely undemanding besides.

How to boost effectiveness

1. Plant in clumps, not singly. A larger patch of one species is easier for bees to find and more efficient to forage.
2. Ensure continuity of flowering. Choose species so they bloom in succession throughout the season — from lilac to stonecrop.
3. Skip chemical sprays during flowering, especially insecticides — they hit pollinators too.
4. Leave a bit of “mess”. Empty snail shells, a patch of bare ground or a dry stem are nesting sites for solitary wild bees.

Balconies count too

Don’t have a garden? Lavender, thyme and stonecrop grow beautifully in pots on a sunny balcony and genuinely support urban pollinator populations. A few containers with species flowering at different times are enough to turn a balcony into a stopover for bees.

You’ll find every nectar-rich species in the database in the collection of plants for bees.